


An Accidental Match

by little_dhampir



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Dates, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-29
Updated: 2017-01-29
Packaged: 2018-09-20 13:58:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9494609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/little_dhampir/pseuds/little_dhampir
Summary: Merlin and Arthur are finally meeting for the first time after emailing and texting for months.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Plutonian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plutonian/gifts).



> Dear Plutonian, 
> 
> I hope you have fun with this little story and sorry for the delay!
> 
> Dear eilonwy77,
> 
> thank you so much for betaing. You rock!

Merlin hated first dates; and as much as he would have liked to deny it, he was nervous. Which was ridiculous; he and Arthur had interacted a thousand times before, online. There was no reason to feel like this just because he would finally meet him in person. It shouldn’t be too different from all the other times they had talked to one another. They practically knew each other inside and out by now. Nothing could change the connection they had made talking to each other in all those emails and messages during the last six months.

Thinking of those emails made him smile; he never would have expected anything like this to happen when he got Arthur’s first email by accident. It had happened before that people mistook his email address for the official email address of the Emrys Bookshop but never before had this turned into such a lovely interaction. Merlin nearly laughed out loud on the tube when he recalled their first email exchange.

***

_From: arthur.pendragon@pendragonslaw.com_  
_Sent: 21.02.2015 11:08_  
_To: m.emrys@gmail.com_  
_Subject: Wrong Book Order_

_Dear Mister Emrys,_

_You accidentally sent me the wrong book. I ordered Margaret Thatcher: The Authorized Biography, Volume 2, but you sent me Margaret Thatcher: The Authorized Biography, Volume 1. My secretary will return this book to you immediately. I hope the correct order will arrive in time; it is, after all, meant as a gift._

_Best regards,_  
_Arthur Pendragon_

***

_From: m.emrys@gmail.com_  
_Sent: 21.02.2015 16:21_  
_To: arthur.pendragon@pendragonslaw.com_  
_RE: Subject: Wrong Book Order_

_Dear Mister Pendragon,_

_I am sorry to hear about this; however, you must have gotten the wrong email address (I assume you meant to write to the Emrys Bookshop), seeing as I have no connection, neither privately nor work-related, to the bookshop. This is my private email. The email you were looking for is: m.emrysbooks@gmail.com._

_Best regards,_  
_Merlin Emrys_

_PS: I hope your book will arrive in time._

***

_From: arthur.pendragon@pendragonslaw.com_  
_Sent: 22.02.2015 08:55_  
_To: m.emrys@gmail.com_  
_RE: RE: Subject: Wrong Book Order_

_Dear Mister Emrys,_

_Sorry for bothering you. I will immediately save the right email address. The book should arrive tomorrow, just in time for my father’s birthday._

_Best regards,_  
_Arthur Pendragon_

***

_From: m.emrys@gmail.com_  
_Sent: 22.02.2015 10:23_  
_To: arthur.pendragon@pendragonslaw.com_  
_RE: RE: RE: RE: Subject: Wrong Book Order_

_Dear Mister Pendragon,_

_Happy Birthday to your father!_

_Merlin_

***

Arthur didn’t reply, so Merlin hadn’t expected to ever hear from him again. This made him strangely sad, even back then. However, one month later, Arthur sent him another email meant for the bookshop. This time Merlin made sure to stay in contact; Arthur sounded surprisingly interesting to him even before getting to know him.

_From: arthur.pendragon@pendragonslaw.com_  
_Sent: 19.03.2015 10:48_  
_To: m.emrys@gmail.com_  
_Subject: Book Order_

_Dear Mister Emrys,_

_I would like to order The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett. My secretary will pick it up this time so you won’t have to send it to my office._

_Best regards,_  
_Arthur Pendragon_

***

_From: arthur.pendragon@pendragonslaw.com_  
_Sent: 19.03.2015 10:50_  
_To: m.emrys@gmail.com_  
_RE: Subject: Book Order_

_I’m sorry Merlin. I realized my mistake the second I hit send._

_Best regards,_  
_Arthur Pendragon_

***

_From: m.emrys@gmail.com_  
_Sent: 19.03.2015 11:21_  
_To: arthur.pendragon@pendragonslaw.com_  
_RE: RE: Subject: Book Order_

_Dear Arthur,_

_Good to know you are still alive and buying books. Please tell me that one is actually for you because I can’t imagine the same person enjoying both evil biographies and awesome fantasy books._

_Merlin_

_PS: Why do you need to have your secretary pick it up?_  
_PPS: I love Discworld. The books are highly entertaining! Feel free to talk to me about them anytime ;)_

***  
_From: arthur.pendragon@pendragonslaw.com_  
_Sent: 19.03.2015 16:58_  
_To: m.emrys@gmail.com_  
_RE: RE: RE: Subject: Book Order_

_Yes, this one is for me, my father doesn't really read much fiction and especially not fantasy. I am a lawyer. My work hours don’t often allow me to come to the bookshop during its opening hours, so I have to send my secretary instead. My sister bought me the first book for my birthday. I guess I got hooked._

_Arthur_

***

_From: arthur.pendragon@pendragonslaw.com_  
_Sent: 19.03.2015 19:36_  
_To: m.emrys@gmail.com_  
_RE: RE: RE: RE: Subject: Book Order_

_Yay to book-buying sisters. But boo to long work hours. I am a literary professor at Camelot University, so if you ever need book recommendations, you know who to ask ;)_

_Merlin_

***

That had been the beginning; about two months later they had exchanged phone numbers, making texting easier. Arthur had indeed asked Merlin about some books. Merlin in turn had shared some of his favourites with Arthur, delighted to see someone falling in love with something he loved so much. And now they were here, about to meet for the first time.

Merlin left the tube at the next station. According to Google, the restaurant Arthur had chosen for their first real meeting was just a five minute walk away. He mentally went through a few other messages they had sent each other, successfully calming his nerves. Arthur had made a reservation under his name, so Merlin didn’t need to worry about finding him. He did technically know what he looked like; they had once played a round of 20 questions while Arthur was bored at a staff meeting. Still his imagination could be off.

***

_Merlin: whats your haircolour?_

_Arthur: blond. Yours?_

_Merlin: black_

_Arthur: and your eyecolour?_

_Merlin: hey, it’s my turn not yours! :P_

_Arthur: wait why? You asked me about my haircolour._

_Merlin: and you asked me the same question back so it’s my turn again._

_Arthur: don’t think that’s how the rules go. Shouldn’t we just each ask a question and both answer it?_

_Merlin: Rules? I don’t think there are official rules for 20 questions ;)_

_Arthur: it’s a game so obviously there have to be rules._

_Merlin: cause everything in your life needs rules ^^_

_Merlin: don’t you ever just wanna break the rules or at least bend them?_

_Arthur: is that your next question? ;)_

_Merlin: ok, ok, I surrender. Ask away :)_

_Arthur: ok, what’s your eyecolour?_

_Merlin: blue; yours?_

_Arthur: same_

_Merlin: what’s your favourite colour?_

_Arthur: red and yours?_

_Merlin: light blue_

***

He had also learned that day that Arthur preferred meat over fish, apples over oranges, running over swimming and many more little details that gave him a better picture of Arthur and his character. Despite being a lawyer he was not boring. He loved fantasy books and owned a dog called Excalibur, Exi for short, whom he loved dearly.

Arthur was a great guy with good taste so it didn’t surprise Merlin that the restaurant he found himself standing in front of was Italian and fancy looking. He starred down at his dark blue jeans and his Converse; he suddenly seemed a bit underdressed. Well, nothing he could change about it now.

Merlin opened the glass door and immediately spotted the perfectly dressed hostess.

“Hi, I have a reservation. The name is Arthur Pendragon,” he said as he stopped in front of her. Her name tag identified her as Gwen. She had a warm smile. After having a quick look at the booking information, she escorted him through the restaurant. Despite his earlier fear, he didn’t seem to be too underdressed. On the inside the restaurant looked homier and less fancy than he had expected.

Gwen stopped in front of a table and, after stepping back a bit, Merlin finally laid eyes on Arthur. Even his wildest imagination hadn’t done Arthur justice. In front of Merlin was the most handsome man he had ever seen, and Merlin was friends with Gwaine and his model colleagues.

Arthur’s blond hair looked as if the sun had designed it personally with its own colours. His blue eyes reminded Merlin of the seashore he used to visit as a child. But the most extraordinary feature was Arthur’s smile; despite his front teeth being slightly crooked, it was a sexy smile, a happy smile.

“Hello Merlin,” Arthur said and it took all of Merlin’s willpower not to swoon in that moment.

“Hi,” he replied as he sat down on the opposite side of the table and promptly bumped his knee on one of the table legs.

“Ouch,” he quickly rubbed it. “Bloody long legs.”

Arthur replied with a loud laugh.

“I kinda see why your mother called you her little spider.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have told you. You have too much blackmail material on me.”

“But they are such lovely long legs.” Merlin blushed which only resulted in Arthur laughing again.

“So did you find the restaurant without problems?” Arthur asked.

“Yeah, it’s not that far away from my flat, only a couple of tube stations. You live around the corner, don’t you?”

They never shared their exact addresses, but Arthur had told him a bit about his neighborhood in one of his emails. He had only moved there three months ago, after leaving his  
father’s neigbhourhood, much to Uther’s disappointment.

“I do. I knew you would figure it out. I chose this restaurant so I would have enough time to change. I had to swing by the office this morning.”

“I guess Exi is looking forward to you opening your own firm.” Arthur had confessed to Merlin about a month ago that he planned on opening his own firm, specializing in helping  
people in need, instead of just earning money as he did at his father’s company.

“She does. Did I tell you I found a possible location for it?” And with that question they were back to their normal interaction. Every last bit of insecurity fell off Merlin as he and Arthur fell back into their usual conversation. The fact that they were now talking face-to-face changed nothing in their connection.

They ordered wine and seafood spaghetti as Arthur showed him a few pictures of the possible new location for his firm. Their wine arrived a few minutes later.

“Leon told me today he would join me at the new firm for sure.” Arthur said to Merlin as he put his phone with the pictures away. Leon was his best friend turned brother-in-law; he and Arthur’s sister were expecting their first child at the moment.

“That’s good. I was grading a few papers before coming here.” Merlin’s lecture this semester was about the popularity of modern day young adult fantasy. Arthur had thought at first Merlin was kidding when he told him about his preparation for the lecture, but as it turned out he wasn’t.

“Did you grade his paper?” They both knew who Arthur was talking about; one of Merlin’s students, Mordred (though Arthur didn’t know his name), had been a pain in Merlin’s ass all semester long, behaving like he knew better and always handing in sloppy homework that proved the difference.

“Ugh yeah. I feel like I am talking to a wall. No matter how much I try to help him get better he just ignores my advice and hands in stuff that’s hardly worth the time it takes reading it. I can’t wait for this semester to be over.”

“Pretty much my thoughts every single semester at university,” Arthur laughed as their food arrived. It smelled delicious, and after taking a bite Merlin realized it tasted even better.

“Gosh, these have to be the best seafood spaghetti I ever had. How do you know this restaurant?” he asked as he ate another shrimp.

“Morgana celebrated her last birthday here; she knows our waitress.” Morgana was Arthur’s sister; despite being quite different in personality they were surprisingly close. She was an interior designer and planned on designing Arthur’s new company once they settled on a building.

“You know, I really want to meet her. She has good taste.”

“Don’t tell her that unless you want her to storm your flat and redesign it,” Arthur joked.

"Maybe she could tell me how to fit another bookcase in," Merlin laughed.

The rest of the evening went just as well. Their conversation never stopped. They jumped from one topic to another just like they had done in their text messages. Merlin felt like he had known Arthur all his life, not just these last few months. All too soon, it was time for them to leave. The sun had gone down while they were inside and only the street lights illuminated the pavement.

Without talking about it, Merlin walked with Arthur towards Arthur’s flat instead of the tube station.

“I still need to go for a walk with Exi; she’s been home alone nearly all day.”

“She’s a good dog.” Merlin replied as they reached Arthur’s flat. The neighbourhood was nicer than Merlin’s, but still not one of the richest ones in town. Arthur preferred living a normal life instead of the high society life he had been born into.

“I don’t really know what to say now. It was fun; we’ll do that again, won’t we?” for the first time tonight Arthur seemed a bit nervous, which warmed Merlin’s heart. So he wasn’t the only one who was a bit unsure about their changed situation.

“Sure, maybe I can meet Exi next time.” Merlin replied, making sure that Arthur knew how much he wanted what they had started. After all Exi was the way to Arthur’s heart.

“Or you could meet her now. If you want to. I wouldn’t mind some company while walking with her in the park.”

“I would love to.” Merlin said with a smile on his lips. He didn’t want the night to end yet.

“Ok, so you want to wait here a minute so I can get her?” Arthur opened the door to the building.

“Sure.”

“Good,” Arthur took a step towards the open door before suddenly turning around again.

“Merlin, one more thing.” That was all the warning he got before Arthur stood in front of him, his warm breath tickling Merlin’s cold skin. The kiss that followed was a short one, just long enough to feel the soft pressure of Arthur’s lips against his slightly chapped ones, but it still took Merlin’s breath away. It was over before Merlin had a chance to do more than hum in appreciation. Arthur chuckled.

“I’ll be back in a minute. Don’t run away.” And he was gone before Merlin could reply.

“Ok,” he whispered to the empty space before looking up into the sky. He couldn’t wait to see Arthur again, even though he only had to wait another minute. Merlin could see the stars, shining brighter than he had ever seen them shine before. Tonight was truly an amazing night and it wasn’t even over yet. Merlin smiled.


End file.
